Folding-machine.



P. R. GLASS. FOLDING MACHINE.

I APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28. I9I5. 1,283,497. Patented Nov. 5,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

P. R. GLASS.

FOLDlNG MACHINE.

A'PPLICATION FILED JUNE 28. ms.

//v VEN 727/?1 Patented Nov. 5, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Fig.6.

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I 11 TED 1 STATES PATENT irmon. PERLEY R. GLASS, o BRoo'KLInE, MASSACHUSETTS, AssIGNon To" r. Gnlisscoir- PANY, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A coRPoRnTIoN or assnoHUsE Ts.

FOLDING-MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, PERLEY R. G Ass, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brookline, in the county: of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented cer V tain Improvements in Folding Machines, of

whichthe following description, in connec-. tion with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings. indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to folding machines and is herein illustrated in connection with a machine for folding the margins of pieces of leather which are to be used in the manufacture of boots and shoes.

When the margin of a piece of flexible material such as leather is folded progressively, a certain amount of strain occurs between a point where, during the pressing of the fold,the presser or hammer holds the completed fold down 'upon the anvil or other support and a point in the margin which has been given/a preliminaryupward turn or curl. For this reason it is desirable that the presser be located as far as is practicable from the point at which the upward curl of themargin begins. If: the edges of all pieces of leather to be folded were straight the presser could be located as far as desired 1 in the rear of the instrumentalities which act the instrumentalitieswhich act to turn up the'margi'n since otherwise certain ditficulties would be liable to arise; T For example,

if a corner were encountered the, presser' might descend outside themargin and thus fail to press the fold. When folding a con- .vexly '01 concavely curvededge of a small radius of curvature it is usually desirable to decrease the rate of feed, and when a straight, or nearly straight edge is encounf adjacent part showlng the extent and loca' used to turn up the margin or partially to form the fold or to bend the margin preparatory to the action of the presser; but inasmuch as there is usually present some memher which can be termed a folder, the inven- Specification'of Letters Patent. V 7

with respect to the folderf V One feature ofthe present invention com:

I -atentedNoV.'5,1918'.- Applieation fi led June 28,1915. serial v aavev.

prises in a machine of the class described;

direction to feed thework, and mechanism for varying the rate of feed of the work, saldflmechanlsm being constructed and ar- .a' folder forpartially forming the fold, a w

ranged to vary the location of the point at which the presser descends upon the mate'- rial. In the illustrative machine the presser is mounted upon a reciprocating slide, the.

mechanism for reciprocating which .is connected in such manner, with the means for varying the rate of feed that the descent of" the presser upon the work. takes place at a polnt close to the folder when the rate of feed is at its minimumand at aopoint more remote from the folder when the. rate of feed is at its maximum. Another feature of thevinvention relates tov an improved constructlon ofcombined turning member and stationary, shear blade whereby the turning member may be 'removed and'replaced without disturbing the blade. 7 v Y 7 These and other features of the invention, including certain details of construction and combinations of parts will be described in connection with an illustrativema'chine and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, V i

Figure 1 is aperspective of a portion of a machine in which the present invention is embodied, the position of parts being such that an intermittent feed about half way between maximum and minimum will be pro- I duced, the presser being spaced considerably from the folder; 7

Fig. 2' is a plan view of the anvil and an tion of the intermittent feed movement when the feed mechanism 'is'adjusted for maximum .feed

Fig. 3 is a view simllar to Fig. 2 but' armechanism for minimum feed;-

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of a combined shear block and turning device.

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross section through the machine showing the feed mechanism adjusted for maximum feed and the presser remote from the folder and about to descend upon the told. This position of parts cor responds to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a similar section but with the feed mechanism adjusted for minimum feed and the hammer close to the folder, the position of parts corresponding to that shown in full lines in Fig. 3.

For convenience the invention has been shown and will be described in connection with the folding machine of my prior applications Serial Nos. 537,947, 725,381, 790,892 and 2874.

The machine comprises a work table 1, a gage 3 having a curved face for bending upwardly the margin of the piece of leather, a pivoted gage 4, a stationary shear member 5 which cotiperates with a knife 7 for snipping the margin of the leather when desired, a creaser 9, and a folder 11 which cooperate to define the line of fold and to bend the upturned margin slightly toward the body of the leather, a support 13 which rises intermittently to hold the leather against the under side of the creaser, and an anvil 15 and presser or hammer 17 which cotiperate first to complete and press the fold and then to feed the leather. Except for the construction of the mechanism for varying the extent of the intermittent feed movements and the construction of the stationary shear blade 5 and turning member 3 the elements referred to above and the mechanisms by which they are respectively operated are substantially identical with the corresponding parts and mechanisms of the machine of my prior applications 725,381 and 790,892 referred to above, and no further description of them will be given. It will be understood, however, that as the leather is fed intermittently from right to left the fold i partially formed at any given point in the margin by the time that said point reaches a position beneath the presser 17, and that the presser then descends to complete and press the fold.

The present invention is concerned more particularly with the folding of leather pieces the edges of which have straight and curved portions, the general object of the mechanism hereinafter described being to vary the point at which the presser descends, said point being located farther from the folder or folding instrumentalities when a straight edge is being operated upon than when the operation is on a curved edge. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the mechanism for controlling the location of the descent of the presser is embodied in or connected with the'feed controlling mechanism so that when the rate of feed is greatest the presser descends at a point farthest from the folder and when the rate of feed is smallest the presser descends at a point nearest to the folder.

As in the machine of my prior applications the presser and anvil are connected with a slide 19 which is reciprocated horizontally at the proper time to cause the leather to be fed. The mechanism for causing this reciprocation is similar to that shown in my prior applications and comprises a bell crank lever 21 angularly movable about a stud shaft 23, the upright arm of said lever being pivoted at 25 to a lug on the slide 19, and the lateral arm being pivoted at 27 to a yoke 29 through the arms of which passes a pin 31. This pin also passes through a block slidable in a curved slot 33 in an operating lever 35 which is oscillated by an eccentric 37 about the axis of the rod or shaft 39. \Vhen, therefore, said eccentric is rotated the slide 19, together with the presser 17 and anvil 15, is reciprocated, the extent of the reciprocation determining the rate of feed of the leather. In order to vary the extent of reciprocation during the operation of the machine a yoke tl embraces the pin 31, the hub of said yoke being loosely mounted on a supporting rod 13 and having an arm 15 extending laterally therefrom which is connected with a suitable treadle (not shown). lVith this construction the pin 31 may be moved at any time nearer to or farther from the axis 39 thereby decreasing or increasing the rate of feed of the leather. All this mechanism is similar to the corresponding mechanism of the machine of my prior applications.

In my prior machine, however, the'parts are so constructed and arranged that the arcuate slot which corresponds to the slot 33 is concentric with the axis of the pin 27 when the operating lever, which corresponds to the lever 35, is in its lowermost position. The result of this construction is that the position of the presser at the time it descends upon the partially formed fold is always the same, that is it descends at a fixed point located at a predetermined distance in the rear of the folder irrespective of the extent of the intermittent feed movements. In the present construction, however, the slot 33 is not concentric with the axis of the pin 27 when the lever 35 is in its lowermost position. Instead, the left-hand portion of the slot, as viewed in the figures,

is farther at all times from the axis of the pin 27 than is the right hand portion, so that when the pin 31 is moved toward the inner or left hand end of the slot 33, the point at which the presser 17 descends upon the bent margin of the leather is shifted toward the folder. In other words, when the rate of feed of the leather is decreased, for

. examplein going around a corner, the

presser descends close to the folder, and when the rate of feed is increased, for example in operating upon a straight edge, the presser descends at a point more remote from the folder. In the illustrative machine the anvil 15 moves in unison with the presser 17 during the feed movement, and the initial position of the anvil corresponds to the position, with reference to the direction of 'feed, occupied by said presser when it descends upon the leather.

In Figs. 2 and 3 the initial positions of the anvil 15 which correspond respectively to the adjustments of the feed mechanism shown in Figs. 5 and 6 are illustrated in dotted lines, the full lines illustrating the extreme left hand po sitions, and the distance between the points of the arrows the respective extents of the intermittent feed movements. In these figures the part 13 has been included in orderto show how the anvil, and consequently the presser, is shifted to the left when the rate of feed is increased and to the right when the rate of feed is decreased, this part 13 like the folder 11 being held at all times from movement in the line of feed.

In machines of this type it is desirable to use a set of interchangeable turning members 3 and to use at any time that one which is suitable to the particular work which is being turned out. Hitherto this member 3 has been made integral with the stationary shear member 5 with the result that when the member 3 was replaced the shear member was also replaced, and required to be adjusted into proper position with respect to the snipping knife. In order to permit the turning member to be removed and replaced without disturbing the adjusted position of the shear member the construction shown best in Fig. 4: is employed. The shear memher 5 has a horizontal base provided with a countersunk slot 55 to receive a set screw 57. The turning member 3 has a flat under side to rest on the horizontal base of the shear member and a shoulder 59 to receive a rib 61, a screw 63 being provided to hold the two members together. With this construction, removal of the screw 63 permits the turning member 3 to be removed and replaced without disturbing the adjustment of the shear member 5. V

In the operation of the machine the operator controls the rate of feed by manipulating a treadle (not shown) to raise or depress the rod 45; and the location of the point at which the presser descends is taken care of as has been explained above.

Although the invention has been set forth in connection with a particular machine in which the folder is movable and the presser forms part of the fed mechanism, it should be understood that this has been done for convenience of description and that the inconnected with the feed mechanism that 'adjustment of said latter mechanism would cause adjustmentof the presser in the manner which has been described. I i

It should also be understood that except for the subject-matter pointed out inthe appended claims the construction and opera tion of the machine illustrated forms the subject-matter oft-he claims of certain prior applications of mine, which have been referred to above. 7

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States:

1. A machine of the class described, having, in combination, a folder for partially forming the fold, a presser consisting of a single member for descending upon the partially folded margin, means for feeding the material intermittently, mechanism for varying the extent of the intermittent feed movements, and connections between said presser and feed varying mechanism constructed and arranged to cause said presser to descend upon. the partially folded margin at a point the location of which depends upon the extent of said intermittent feeds, said presser being held from angular movement in the directionof feed.

2. A machine of the class described, having, in combination, means including a folder and a presser consisting of a single member arranged to act successively upon the margin of a piece of flexible material, and treadle controlled mechanism adapted to be manipulated during the operation of the machine for varying the location of the point at which the presser descends upon the material while maintaining the angular position of the presser unchanged.

3. A machine of the class described, having in combination, means for intermittently feeding a piece of material into position to have its margin operated upon, a movable folder for partially forming the fold, a presser for descending upon the partially folded margin, and mechanism for varying the extent of the intermittent feed movements, saidmechanism being constructed and arranged to vary the location of the point at which the presser descends for pressing the partially formed fold and for feeding the material, and mechanism for varying the extent of the intermittent feed movements, said feed varying mechanism being constructed and arranged to vary the initial position of said grippers.

In a machine of the class described, a shear blade and an edge turning member removably fastened thereto.

(3. In a machine of the class described, a vil'n'atory snipping knife, a stationary member arranged to cooperate with said knife to snip the stock, and a turning member detachably connected to said stationary memher.

7. In a machine of the class described, a vibratory snipping knife, a stationary member arranged to cooperate With said knife to snip the stock, and a turning member removably mounted thereon in such manner that said turning member may be removed and replaced While maintaining the position of said stationary member.

8. A machine of the class described, having, in combination, means for feeding a piece of Work intermittently into position to have its margin operated upon, a folder for partially forming the fold, a presser, means for causing the presser to descend upon the partially formed fold to complete and press it and then to move in a direction to feed the Work, and mechanism for \'-'arying the extent of the intermittent feed movements, said mechanism being constructed and arranged to vary the location of the point at which the presser descends.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

PERLEY R. GLASS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

